The Complexity of Communication

Communication is a complex process affected by many variables while taking on many forms and styles. It is important to understand all elements of the communication process to communicate effectively. Developing and refining interpersonal skills by practising effective communication is beneficial to everyone in both their personal and professional relationships. Effective communication is complicated, information is sometimes lost due to mixed messages, ‘noise’ or behaviours. Additionally, poor listening skills, language and culture can also create barriers that undermine the communication process. The following paper will discuss communication, including verbal and non-verbal types of exchange along with key terms, successful strategies and common failures in light of current theory. Communication is the flow and exchange of ideas and information from one person to another; it involves transmitting a feeling, idea or information from a sender to a receiver (Clark,1997). Interpersonal communication requires at least two people with person fulfilling the role of both source and receiver (DeVito, 2009). The source has a message to transmit, and this message has a purpose (DeVito, 2009). The source will then encode his or her message with the words, behaviour and body language that he or she feels will help best transmit this message according to his or her purpose (DeVito, 2009). The message will be transmitted through a channel or method of communication such as face to face or telephone conversation, letter, recording or email (DeVito, 2009). The receiver is the recipient of the transmission and will decode the message using language skills as well as cultural and situational context (Lizotte, 2008). The message received may or may not fulfil the source’s intended purpose (Lizotte, 2008). Feedback is a fundamental element in the communication process (Lizotte, 2008). These are messages the receiver sends in return to help understand the idea, feeling or

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